Dodgers tab Capuano to start Sunday on short rest

SAN DIEGO -- Chris Capuano will start for the Dodgers on Sunday on short rest, manager Don Mattingly confirmed on Saturday.

It will be the first time Capuano will be pitching on three days' rest since 2005, before he underwent two Tommy John surgeries.

He's also been on the disabled list twice this year -- in April for a strained calf muscle and most recently with a strained lat muscle.

"Obviously, there's a sense of urgency there," Mattingly said of Capuano offering to pitch. "He sees we're not putting wins on the board, and he want to change it. I like the fact he wants to do it. I still wouldn't do it unless everybody thought it was OK and everybody checked off."

Capuano came off the DL to start Wednesday against the Yankees, throwing six scoreless innings and feeling well enough after making 83 pitches to volunteer to pitch Sunday.

"I felt like he was our best chance," Mattingly said of the Capuano decision. "From the day he pitched the other day, he felt it was one of his easiest starts. If we called somebody up and got five innings, we'd have been happy. We're confident we're not taking any chances with him. He's confident we're not taking any chances.

"For me, I was a little bit leery about it. Rick [Honeycutt, pitching coach] said he doesn't feel like we're taking any chances. I was worried about the elbow, but [Capuano] said he's not worried one bit."

The Dodgers needed a starter for Sunday, which would have been Hyun-Jin Ryu's game. But Ryu's start in New York was delayed a day by rain, and the club doesn't want him pitching on three days' rest.

Mattingly said Matt Magill, who had been called up to replace injured starters twice this year, was not under consideration for the start. Magill came out of his last start for Triple-A Albuquerque with forearm stiffness and was placed on the DL on Saturday.

The other Albuquerque pitcher being considered was Matt Palmer.

Kemp, Van Slyke test out injuries at Albuquerque

Kemp, on the disabled list since May 30 with a strained left hamstring, served as the designated hitter and went 0-for-5 with four strikeouts. Kemp effectively stole second base, but wasn't credited for it because Dee Gordon was caught trying to steal home on the continuation of the play.

Van Slyke, on the DL since June 11 with left shoulder bursitis, went 0-for-3 with three strikeouts and committed a pair of throwing errors playing first base.

Both players are expected to remain with Albuquerque for at least two more games.

Mattingly doesn't expect Greinke-Quentin repeat

SAN DIEGO -- Manager Don Mattingly predicted there would be no Saturday night rematch of the April skirmish between Dodgers starting pitcher Zack Greinke and Padres outfielder Carlos Quentin, who would face each other for the first time since that brawl.

"I don't expect anything at all," Mattingly said before the game. "I'm not saying a ball doesn't get away and he gets hit. It could happen with anybody. But I would be shocked if Zack hits him on purpose. Shocked. I'm pretty sure he's not going to. I don't think there's any way he's throwing at him.

"We've had enough issues. Zack has had enough issues. He's been in the middle of things, he's been on the right side of it in my opinion. But we're not in position to do any of that stuff. We need Zack to get deep in the game and put a win on the board."

Greinke hit Quentin in the back on April 11 for what turned out to be the third time in their careers. Quentin took a few steps toward the mound, Greinke told him to "wave it," and Quentin charged, spearing the right-hander on his left shoulder and breaking his left collarbone, which required surgery to repair and a month to rehab. Greinke still has a metal plate holding the bone in place.

Two nights before the brawl, Quentin was hit on the wrist by a Ronald Belisario pitch and missed the next game with a bruise.

On Apr. 9, 2009, Greinke hit Quentin in the back with a pitch, Quentin took a couple steps toward the mound, then was intercepted by home-plate umpire Bill Hohn and Royals catcher Miguel Olivo.

Earlier this month, Greinke triggered a brawl by getting hit near his neck by a pitch from Arizona's Ian Kennedy, as retaliation for Greinke hitting Miguel Montero with a pitch, after Kennedy hit Yasiel Puig in the nose with a pitch.

Since the Dodgers-Padres brawl, Quentin said he spoke to Greinke, but the pitcher would not elaborate with reporters.

Neck doing well, Lilly throws bullpen session

SAN DIEGO -- Dodgers starting pitcher Ted Lilly threw his first bullpen session Saturday since being placed on the disabled list June 5 with a neck strain.

Lilly threw all fastballs and reported no discomfort in the neck, which responded well to an epidural injection.

He is already eligible to come off the DL, but needs to throw several more bullpen sessions and go on a Minor League rehab assignment before he can rejoin the big league club.

Worth noting

• The Dodgers announced that catcher Ramon Hernandez, who was designated for assignment June 14, cleared waivers and was released.

Ken Gurnick is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.